Darcy and I were decorating our house for Christmas the other night and came across this snowman and dog that sings. I think it was one of those Hallmark snowmen. For some reason, every time we push the button and let the snowman and dog sing, Brody goes crazy. It's Brody's Christmas gift to everyone. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Update
Wow! Where has the past 3 weeks gone?! They have just flown by.
Here is just a bit of what we have been doing over the past few weeks.
Of course we celebrated Thanksgiving! We hosted at our house...no I did not cook the turkey...we just turned over our house for invasion!! :)We enjoyed every minute of it! It warms are hearts greatly to have family fill our home!
Then we cleared the tables and got ready for a little girl birthday party! My niece, Mallory, turned 2!
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Of course Thanksgiving break wouldn't be complete without a quick Black Friday shopping trip!
No those are NOT ALL MY purchases!!
Then, a week ago, we decided to buy a different vehicle!! Pete has been doing some searching for about a year now. He found this truck and got a great deal on it!
That is just a quick glimpse of what we have been doing over the past 3 weeks.
Our journey update...
Currently we are waiting. Yes waiting.
We met with our Dr a few weeks ago and discussed our next step. We have 3 frozen embryos that we are responsible for. We will handle each of those little lives with great care and consideration. God chose to continue growing them for a purpose, a purpose we can not see but TRUST He will reveal to us in the near future. We will have our next implant of 2 of the embryos near the end of January. There is just a few medications I will have to take this time and it will be a piece of cake compared to the whole process.
We have prayed for peace throughout this whole process and I can't even begin to describe to you the peace that we have felt! We know that God is working out His great PERFECT will. Even though it has been painful on our hearts, we know that He ultimately knows what is best for us! We had also said all along that we would try IVF two times and if it was unsuccessful both times, we would pursue adoption. We prepared ourselves for that step. Never did we dream that this is where we would be right now. God chose to move in a way to have these embryos to continue growing for a purpose. We do not understand and have a selfish urge to back away from all of this forever, because we are afraid of heartache. We know that God is bigger than our fears and He asks us to overcome our fears.
The peace that rules in our hearts is indescribable.
This is where we are supposed to be.
This is what we are supposed to be doing.
Thank you God for loving us and caring so deeply for us in this time. Even though it has been painful, we have felt your hand holding us!!! To God be the Glory.
Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words, phone calls, text messages, emails..etc! We have been so encouraged by the overwhelming love from friends and family. We are BLESSED!
Here is just a bit of what we have been doing over the past few weeks.
Of course we celebrated Thanksgiving! We hosted at our house...no I did not cook the turkey...we just turned over our house for invasion!! :)We enjoyed every minute of it! It warms are hearts greatly to have family fill our home!
Then we cleared the tables and got ready for a little girl birthday party! My niece, Mallory, turned 2!
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Of course Thanksgiving break wouldn't be complete without a quick Black Friday shopping trip!
No those are NOT ALL MY purchases!!
Then, a week ago, we decided to buy a different vehicle!! Pete has been doing some searching for about a year now. He found this truck and got a great deal on it!
That is just a quick glimpse of what we have been doing over the past 3 weeks.
Our journey update...
Currently we are waiting. Yes waiting.
We met with our Dr a few weeks ago and discussed our next step. We have 3 frozen embryos that we are responsible for. We will handle each of those little lives with great care and consideration. God chose to continue growing them for a purpose, a purpose we can not see but TRUST He will reveal to us in the near future. We will have our next implant of 2 of the embryos near the end of January. There is just a few medications I will have to take this time and it will be a piece of cake compared to the whole process.
We have prayed for peace throughout this whole process and I can't even begin to describe to you the peace that we have felt! We know that God is working out His great PERFECT will. Even though it has been painful on our hearts, we know that He ultimately knows what is best for us! We had also said all along that we would try IVF two times and if it was unsuccessful both times, we would pursue adoption. We prepared ourselves for that step. Never did we dream that this is where we would be right now. God chose to move in a way to have these embryos to continue growing for a purpose. We do not understand and have a selfish urge to back away from all of this forever, because we are afraid of heartache. We know that God is bigger than our fears and He asks us to overcome our fears.
The peace that rules in our hearts is indescribable.
This is where we are supposed to be.
This is what we are supposed to be doing.
Thank you God for loving us and caring so deeply for us in this time. Even though it has been painful, we have felt your hand holding us!!! To God be the Glory.
Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words, phone calls, text messages, emails..etc! We have been so encouraged by the overwhelming love from friends and family. We are BLESSED!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Broken but not crushed
Today, we traveled to the clinic to have blood drawn for our pregnancy test. We received a phone call about an hour later stating the test came back negative.
Again, we find ourselves broken and wondering what went wrong. We know that God is in control and that He is holding us at this time. Pray that our hearts heal and that we can be filled with the Peace that can only come from Him.
With broken hearts.......
Pete and Darcy
Again, we find ourselves broken and wondering what went wrong. We know that God is in control and that He is holding us at this time. Pray that our hearts heal and that we can be filled with the Peace that can only come from Him.
With broken hearts.......
Pete and Darcy
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A Glimmer of Hope
Obviously, we are still in the waiting stage, not really knowing what to think each and every day that we wake up. I have been trying hard not to think about things. Just trying to live my life as normal as possible. I've been working hard to push out negativity that could, if I let it, flood my mind. We won't know for a couple of weeks yet if this round was successful or not, so in the mean time ...we wait. The story of our lives!! :) I'm getting pretty used to that mode and I'm okay with it right now.
We did receive a little glimmer of hope that this round is "different" than the last one. That has been my battle all along, is the thought "well, it didn't work the first time, why will it work the 2nd time". This was a battle in my mind for a while but along the way, it has been revealed to us that things are different this time. Now, does that mean i'm setting myself up...no...it just means that it gives me a little bit of hope that it might turn out different this time. As we started this round, our wonderful doctor used his expertise and offered us a different regimine. That included some different medicines at different times. As I've progressed with things, I felt pretty much the SAME. That began to play a toll on me because I thought "this is supposed to be different"....I guess I thought I was supposed to feel different too. All of my appointments were very positive with great strides and progress in the right direction. My confidence was strengthened. The day of retrieval did feel different...I wasn't as "bogged" and the day of transfer was COMPLETELY different! It was not near as painful as the time before.
It is standard procedure at our clinic that there are only 2 embryos implanted at the time of implant. That is what happened for us. Now, as I have explained before, there were a lot more eggs fertilized but not all of those eggs have grown and developed into embryos. At the time of implant, we were told that there were a total of 5 embroys maturing at this time...that is 2 that were implanted and 3 that they were going to continue to watch to see if they developed further. We were to call down in two days to see if any of those embryos were still progressing or if they degenerated. The last time, there were 6 that they were going to watch and all of them degenerated and stopped maturing over the next few days. This time, we called and found out that there are 3 perfect embryos that they will freeze for us for future use!! WOW, what a complete blessing that is! Now, we do not take that lightly and know that those are precious lives and will prayerfully consider when the right time will be to have those implanted some day.
So for the time being, we have caught a glimmer of hope that this time MIGHT be DIFFERNT!!! Please Lord Jesus, it is only by your GRACE and MERCY that these lives within me will be sustained!
We humbly ask that you keep praying!
We did receive a little glimmer of hope that this round is "different" than the last one. That has been my battle all along, is the thought "well, it didn't work the first time, why will it work the 2nd time". This was a battle in my mind for a while but along the way, it has been revealed to us that things are different this time. Now, does that mean i'm setting myself up...no...it just means that it gives me a little bit of hope that it might turn out different this time. As we started this round, our wonderful doctor used his expertise and offered us a different regimine. That included some different medicines at different times. As I've progressed with things, I felt pretty much the SAME. That began to play a toll on me because I thought "this is supposed to be different"....I guess I thought I was supposed to feel different too. All of my appointments were very positive with great strides and progress in the right direction. My confidence was strengthened. The day of retrieval did feel different...I wasn't as "bogged" and the day of transfer was COMPLETELY different! It was not near as painful as the time before.
It is standard procedure at our clinic that there are only 2 embryos implanted at the time of implant. That is what happened for us. Now, as I have explained before, there were a lot more eggs fertilized but not all of those eggs have grown and developed into embryos. At the time of implant, we were told that there were a total of 5 embroys maturing at this time...that is 2 that were implanted and 3 that they were going to continue to watch to see if they developed further. We were to call down in two days to see if any of those embryos were still progressing or if they degenerated. The last time, there were 6 that they were going to watch and all of them degenerated and stopped maturing over the next few days. This time, we called and found out that there are 3 perfect embryos that they will freeze for us for future use!! WOW, what a complete blessing that is! Now, we do not take that lightly and know that those are precious lives and will prayerfully consider when the right time will be to have those implanted some day.
So for the time being, we have caught a glimmer of hope that this time MIGHT be DIFFERNT!!! Please Lord Jesus, it is only by your GRACE and MERCY that these lives within me will be sustained!
We humbly ask that you keep praying!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Transfer........check.
Today, Darcy and I traveled down to Des Moines for our transfer appointment. This is where they take the two strongest embryos and implant them into Darcy. The procedure went very well. Darcy continued to tell me throughout the day that it was so much better than last time.
We continue to feel so blessed by knowing that family and friends are praying for us. We have felt so encouraged and upheld during this time. Our prayers continue to be that God would place His hand on us and allow these embryos to continue to grow and attach to Darcy. We will travel back down to Des Moines in two weeks for our pregnancy test. The next two weeks are vital to the success of the procedure.
Please continue to pray that the embryos grow. Pray that Darcy stays healthy and stress free. Pray that we can continue to think positive thoughts and that we continue to draw closer to our Lord Jesus during this time of waiting.
We trust you Lord! May your Name be praised!
We continue to feel so blessed by knowing that family and friends are praying for us. We have felt so encouraged and upheld during this time. Our prayers continue to be that God would place His hand on us and allow these embryos to continue to grow and attach to Darcy. We will travel back down to Des Moines in two weeks for our pregnancy test. The next two weeks are vital to the success of the procedure.
Please continue to pray that the embryos grow. Pray that Darcy stays healthy and stress free. Pray that we can continue to think positive thoughts and that we continue to draw closer to our Lord Jesus during this time of waiting.
We trust you Lord! May your Name be praised!
Friday, October 30, 2009
One phase down
Those of you who know me, know that I am a very "list oriented" person! Yes, I like to have things in order and I like to be able to see what needs to be done. I enjoy nothing more than crossing off something from my list. Yes, I even write things on my list that are already done...just to cross them off!! I feel a sense of "empowerment" when I've accomplished something!
Today is one of those days. We can cross off the first big phase of this whole process!!! :)
Yesterday, we were at the clinic bright and early! My appointment was at 6:45am and we were ready to go back to surgery by 7:00. I was was given some medicine to put me out, although it didn't put me completely out this time. The procedure happened and then I was recovering. We were in the car headed home by around 10:00am. So to say the least, it was a pretty quick morning.
As I was coming to, the nurse informed us that they were able to retrieve 23 eggs! She said that was great. Then the nurse called today and informed us that of the 23 there were 19 that were fertilized. The other 5 were just fluid sacks or they degenerated before fertilization occurred. As I talked with the nurse today, she informed us that we have 12 embryos that are growing right now as we speak. Now will all of those embryos survive, probably not. The way I look at it is, does every egg that is fertilized in the womb survive and turn into a pregnancy?... no. This is no different. The embryos are stored in a very climate controlled incubator and they are growing and changing every minute. Obviously, we know that the hand of God is the creator and sustainer of life. This type of situation looks different because it is taking place outside of the body, BUT in both cases, there needs to be SUSTAINMENT in order for life to occur. How many times in a woman's body does this occur and we not even know it?!? Does an egg become fertilized but never come to a full term pregnancy?!?! Probably a lot more than we will ever know. I believe that this is no different. In both cases, we believe that God is the Creator and sustainer of life.
On Tuesday, we will go down for 2 embryos to be transferred into my womb. They will also tell us how many embryos are still growing and maturing. If there are still some growing and maturing, we will freeze them to use at a later time.
Again, we can't thank you all enough for your thoughts, prayers and kind words in this time. We praise God for such loving friends and family that can surround us in this time. We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us as we still have a long road ahead of us. Pray that these embryos continue to grow and mature. Please pray for our hearts to be open and willing to do whatever it is that God desires of us. We desire to be obedient to His calling for us.
Also, continue to pray for the healing of my body. I'm still in quite a bit of discomfort and have been really trying to nurse myself back to normal.
We have learned that the power of prayer is immeasurable. To feel the prayers of many is unbelievable and to know the surpassing PEACE that the good Lord provides is indescribable.
Today is one of those days. We can cross off the first big phase of this whole process!!! :)
Yesterday, we were at the clinic bright and early! My appointment was at 6:45am and we were ready to go back to surgery by 7:00. I was was given some medicine to put me out, although it didn't put me completely out this time. The procedure happened and then I was recovering. We were in the car headed home by around 10:00am. So to say the least, it was a pretty quick morning.
As I was coming to, the nurse informed us that they were able to retrieve 23 eggs! She said that was great. Then the nurse called today and informed us that of the 23 there were 19 that were fertilized. The other 5 were just fluid sacks or they degenerated before fertilization occurred. As I talked with the nurse today, she informed us that we have 12 embryos that are growing right now as we speak. Now will all of those embryos survive, probably not. The way I look at it is, does every egg that is fertilized in the womb survive and turn into a pregnancy?... no. This is no different. The embryos are stored in a very climate controlled incubator and they are growing and changing every minute. Obviously, we know that the hand of God is the creator and sustainer of life. This type of situation looks different because it is taking place outside of the body, BUT in both cases, there needs to be SUSTAINMENT in order for life to occur. How many times in a woman's body does this occur and we not even know it?!? Does an egg become fertilized but never come to a full term pregnancy?!?! Probably a lot more than we will ever know. I believe that this is no different. In both cases, we believe that God is the Creator and sustainer of life.
On Tuesday, we will go down for 2 embryos to be transferred into my womb. They will also tell us how many embryos are still growing and maturing. If there are still some growing and maturing, we will freeze them to use at a later time.
Again, we can't thank you all enough for your thoughts, prayers and kind words in this time. We praise God for such loving friends and family that can surround us in this time. We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us as we still have a long road ahead of us. Pray that these embryos continue to grow and mature. Please pray for our hearts to be open and willing to do whatever it is that God desires of us. We desire to be obedient to His calling for us.
Also, continue to pray for the healing of my body. I'm still in quite a bit of discomfort and have been really trying to nurse myself back to normal.
We have learned that the power of prayer is immeasurable. To feel the prayers of many is unbelievable and to know the surpassing PEACE that the good Lord provides is indescribable.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Things are progressing
I can't even begin to describe the past few weeks. It has been a complete whirlwind. I have had 4 appointments over the past 6 days. Over the course of those appointments, I have been monitored very closely. I have had an ultrasound and blood drawn at each and every appointment. The nurses administered an ultrasound each time to watch the activity in my ovaries. There are follicles (eggs) that are growing in each ovary and the shots that I have been giving makes those follicles grow even larger and more mature. With each dr appointment, they measure the growth of the follicles. These measurements have shown adequate growth and enough growth to keep me "right on track". This was encouraging news to hear every day that I was there.
According to my ultrasound and bloodwork yesterday, we are on track to have our egg retrieval on Thursday morning. This is when they will go in the ovaries and extract every single follicle that grew over the course of the past few weeks. It is undetermined at this time how many that will be and we won't know until tomorrow after the procedure. Tomorrow morning, we need to be at the clinic at 6:45am...yikes..when we live over an hour away...that will be an early morning.
Please pray for us tomorrow. Please pray that my body would respond to all of the meds tomorrow to make the procedure go smoothly. Please pray that the doctors would have wisdom in our situation. Pray that my body would react decently to all of the 'trauma'. I have been feeling very good. I have had no real issues with any of the medicine thus far and my body hasn't felt too abnormal. This is such an answer to prayer.
Trusting in God's unfailing love and wisdom in this time.
According to my ultrasound and bloodwork yesterday, we are on track to have our egg retrieval on Thursday morning. This is when they will go in the ovaries and extract every single follicle that grew over the course of the past few weeks. It is undetermined at this time how many that will be and we won't know until tomorrow after the procedure. Tomorrow morning, we need to be at the clinic at 6:45am...yikes..when we live over an hour away...that will be an early morning.
Please pray for us tomorrow. Please pray that my body would respond to all of the meds tomorrow to make the procedure go smoothly. Please pray that the doctors would have wisdom in our situation. Pray that my body would react decently to all of the 'trauma'. I have been feeling very good. I have had no real issues with any of the medicine thus far and my body hasn't felt too abnormal. This is such an answer to prayer.
Trusting in God's unfailing love and wisdom in this time.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Stepping out on faith, again...
Does this ever become...easy?!? Stepping out on 'Faith'. Stepping into something that you are fearful of, stepping somewhere that is not visible...stepping somewhere and feeling very out of control. How can this be easy? How can this ever be a joyous time when everything inside of me wants to run in the other direction because of the unknown? I want to scream and demand a view of what is come. I want to see everything that is about to happen BEFORE I take this step of faith again.
Unfortunately, I know that life does not work that way.
In Hebrews 11:1 it states
Now FAITH is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see.
What am I sure of? What am I certain of?
I am sure of the fact that God is holding us in this time. I am sure of the fact that we are perfectly inside His Perfect WILL right now. I am certain that nothing can separate us from the love of God. I am certain that he cares about us deeply. I am sure that there will be a day when I will stand in the presence of the Lord and fall at His feet. I am certain that this life here on earth is not ALL about me and my desires but more about God using me to bring Glory and Honor to HIM! I am certain that God is All Knowing and All powerful. I am certain that He holds the future.
So as I reflect on all of that, I do have FAITH. I can step out into this scary unknown with confidence. I sit here today with a heart that is full of peace, confidence, and hope. Thank you all for praying for us. We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us in this time. We know that prayer is a powerful tool and that God hears the cry of his people. We start the first round of shots on Monday. I have a little different regimen this time that includes not as many shots as before....so that is good! We are not near as fearful of the shots as we were the first time through. I feel very at ease about everything and know that our hearts are set to be obedient in this time. I will have to make frequent visits (6 in 2 weeks)to the doctor's office that is over an hour away from my house. Please pray for travel mercies, as well.
A verse that I take comfort in..
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of GRACE with confidence , so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The step of faith this time is done with great confidence!
Thank you all for your love and kindness.
Unfortunately, I know that life does not work that way.
In Hebrews 11:1 it states
Now FAITH is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see.
What am I sure of? What am I certain of?
I am sure of the fact that God is holding us in this time. I am sure of the fact that we are perfectly inside His Perfect WILL right now. I am certain that nothing can separate us from the love of God. I am certain that he cares about us deeply. I am sure that there will be a day when I will stand in the presence of the Lord and fall at His feet. I am certain that this life here on earth is not ALL about me and my desires but more about God using me to bring Glory and Honor to HIM! I am certain that God is All Knowing and All powerful. I am certain that He holds the future.
So as I reflect on all of that, I do have FAITH. I can step out into this scary unknown with confidence. I sit here today with a heart that is full of peace, confidence, and hope. Thank you all for praying for us. We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us in this time. We know that prayer is a powerful tool and that God hears the cry of his people. We start the first round of shots on Monday. I have a little different regimen this time that includes not as many shots as before....so that is good! We are not near as fearful of the shots as we were the first time through. I feel very at ease about everything and know that our hearts are set to be obedient in this time. I will have to make frequent visits (6 in 2 weeks)to the doctor's office that is over an hour away from my house. Please pray for travel mercies, as well.
A verse that I take comfort in..
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of GRACE with confidence , so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The step of faith this time is done with great confidence!
Thank you all for your love and kindness.
Monday, September 14, 2009
What's new
Summer officially ended for us! :( Boo :( I really could have used about 3 more weeks of summer, but oh well.
Here we are three and a half weeks into school. This is the start of my 9th year teaching!! Wow! I truly can't believe it has been that long. It doesn't feel like that long ago I was just starting out. I guess another event in my life to look upon and say "man...how time flies". Pete is starting his 2nd year at Marshalltown High School and is coaching freshmen football again this year. We are discovering that our weeks fill up very quickly with school, youth group, bible study, football games and just normal daily activities. We won't complain though. We feel very blessed to be surrounded by a great church family and great youth group kids that make the weeks something to look forward to.
This summer, we weren't really able to take any vacations. Only if you consider trips to the ER, hospital stays and surgery a vacation..then maybe! Those medical bills were, by far, the most expensive "vacation" I have ever taken! I am feeling GREAT now though, so again, we can't complain. Just really thankful it happened over the summer so I didn't have to juggle school stuff while being sick.
Here is a glipse of what we did this summer...
Back in April, I surprised my BFF, Jill,with tickets to the New Kids On The Block concert in Chicago. Oh my goodness this was such a blast!!! We will never forget the fun we had that night..Or the fact that Jon Knight reached out to touch Jill...and I touched him TOO!! :) We rocked out to all the NKOTB oldies and surprisingly I knew the words to almost all of their songs!! :) It made me feel like I was 13 again!
Of course, my summer wouldn't be completely without a trip to the Iowa State Fair. :) When the calendar came out a year ago I was really bummed that it was going to overlap with school. Jill then drew my attention the the fact that one of my favorite singers Steven Curtis Chapmen was going to be performing on the first night. Jill worked hard to get us tickets and we came out with 2nd row center stage...NOT BAD! :) Helps to know someone who can sit in the handicap section! Love ya Jill! :)
Steven Curtis Chapmen
Jeremy camp opened the night...he is also another favorite of ours!
We were offered some free tickets to the ICubs game in Des Moines so my family packed up and headed out. This was my first ICubs experience. It was a great time and a beautiful night for a baseball game!
My nephew, Pete, and I at the game.
Here is an amazing friend of mine, Jana! She has been such a God send. I remember a few years ago praying and asking the Lord to bring a believing teacher to my school. I had a great believing friend there a few years ago, Grace, but she has since moved on to raise her family. We do have some believers in my building, but they are all in their 50's, which isn't a bad thing and I love them dearly! Then the Lord introduced me to Jana!!! We had so much in common and she loves the Lord...she seeps his Word and sheds Light into my life DAILY!! Thank you Lord, for Jana!! BTW-she is the one that gave us the free tickets! :)
Couldn't put a picture of Mason on here and not put a picture of my precious niece, Mallory! She is trying to sneak up on me. Love her!! :)
Now "Where are we at with things?", I have had a few of you ask.
After much prayer,careful considerations and lots of evaluating we have decided to go ahead and pursue another round of InVitro. This has not been an easy decision for us. We have spent a lot of time reflecting and pouring our hearts out to God in hopes that he will give us guidance. As we talked it over with each other, it was amazing how we were actually feeling the exact same way. A coincidence..NO...we believe that it is completely God! He has a way of speaking to our hearts if we listen! We will be starting the process this month but the "big stuff" wont happen for another 30 days or so.
We humbly ask for your prayers in this time. We are so vulnerable right now and are stepping out in Faith. We know that God is faithful; we know he is all knowing..we know that our days rest in his hands! We humbly ask that you pray for strength and courage to go through this process again. We also ask that you pray for peace and guidance. We know that if this time it doesn't take, we will pursue adoption...which is another giant mountain. We are willing to do whatever it takes to hold our children in our arms and love them forever.
In God's Hands,
Pete and Darcy
Here we are three and a half weeks into school. This is the start of my 9th year teaching!! Wow! I truly can't believe it has been that long. It doesn't feel like that long ago I was just starting out. I guess another event in my life to look upon and say "man...how time flies". Pete is starting his 2nd year at Marshalltown High School and is coaching freshmen football again this year. We are discovering that our weeks fill up very quickly with school, youth group, bible study, football games and just normal daily activities. We won't complain though. We feel very blessed to be surrounded by a great church family and great youth group kids that make the weeks something to look forward to.
This summer, we weren't really able to take any vacations. Only if you consider trips to the ER, hospital stays and surgery a vacation..then maybe! Those medical bills were, by far, the most expensive "vacation" I have ever taken! I am feeling GREAT now though, so again, we can't complain. Just really thankful it happened over the summer so I didn't have to juggle school stuff while being sick.
Here is a glipse of what we did this summer...
Back in April, I surprised my BFF, Jill,with tickets to the New Kids On The Block concert in Chicago. Oh my goodness this was such a blast!!! We will never forget the fun we had that night..Or the fact that Jon Knight reached out to touch Jill...and I touched him TOO!! :) We rocked out to all the NKOTB oldies and surprisingly I knew the words to almost all of their songs!! :) It made me feel like I was 13 again!
Of course, my summer wouldn't be completely without a trip to the Iowa State Fair. :) When the calendar came out a year ago I was really bummed that it was going to overlap with school. Jill then drew my attention the the fact that one of my favorite singers Steven Curtis Chapmen was going to be performing on the first night. Jill worked hard to get us tickets and we came out with 2nd row center stage...NOT BAD! :) Helps to know someone who can sit in the handicap section! Love ya Jill! :)
Steven Curtis Chapmen
Jeremy camp opened the night...he is also another favorite of ours!
We were offered some free tickets to the ICubs game in Des Moines so my family packed up and headed out. This was my first ICubs experience. It was a great time and a beautiful night for a baseball game!
My nephew, Pete, and I at the game.
Here is an amazing friend of mine, Jana! She has been such a God send. I remember a few years ago praying and asking the Lord to bring a believing teacher to my school. I had a great believing friend there a few years ago, Grace, but she has since moved on to raise her family. We do have some believers in my building, but they are all in their 50's, which isn't a bad thing and I love them dearly! Then the Lord introduced me to Jana!!! We had so much in common and she loves the Lord...she seeps his Word and sheds Light into my life DAILY!! Thank you Lord, for Jana!! BTW-she is the one that gave us the free tickets! :)
Couldn't put a picture of Mason on here and not put a picture of my precious niece, Mallory! She is trying to sneak up on me. Love her!! :)
Now "Where are we at with things?", I have had a few of you ask.
After much prayer,careful considerations and lots of evaluating we have decided to go ahead and pursue another round of InVitro. This has not been an easy decision for us. We have spent a lot of time reflecting and pouring our hearts out to God in hopes that he will give us guidance. As we talked it over with each other, it was amazing how we were actually feeling the exact same way. A coincidence..NO...we believe that it is completely God! He has a way of speaking to our hearts if we listen! We will be starting the process this month but the "big stuff" wont happen for another 30 days or so.
We humbly ask for your prayers in this time. We are so vulnerable right now and are stepping out in Faith. We know that God is faithful; we know he is all knowing..we know that our days rest in his hands! We humbly ask that you pray for strength and courage to go through this process again. We also ask that you pray for peace and guidance. We know that if this time it doesn't take, we will pursue adoption...which is another giant mountain. We are willing to do whatever it takes to hold our children in our arms and love them forever.
In God's Hands,
Pete and Darcy
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Blessings
It has been nearly two weeks since my surgery to remove my gall bladder.
I am doing very well. Thanks for your prayers!
Now that we have jumped the hurdle of surgery, the next hurdle is starting school. Although after nine years of preparing for school, it does get a little bit easier....but it's still a hurdle.
I have been reminded this summer of the many blessings that God has given me/us! So I thought I would post some pics of those blessings!
First of all my HUBBY! What a blessing he has been in my life! Can't imagine my life without him. Thank you Lord for such a wonderful husband!
Our Home! Thank you Lord for allowing us to build a home where family can join.
"God provided it. Now it is our job to use it for Him"
The blessing of sight to see this every morning! What a beautiful creation we are surrounded by.
My family means the world to me!
My beautiful niece, Mallory!
My handsome little nephew, Mason!
My doggie, Brody!
There is no picture to show the gift of eternal life that you freely give to us, if we accept and confess that you are Lord. Or the mercy and grace that you pour out upon us. We recognize that we are sinful and have fallen short in this life, but yet your goodness is still revealed to us.
WE ARE BLESSED.....
I am doing very well. Thanks for your prayers!
Now that we have jumped the hurdle of surgery, the next hurdle is starting school. Although after nine years of preparing for school, it does get a little bit easier....but it's still a hurdle.
I have been reminded this summer of the many blessings that God has given me/us! So I thought I would post some pics of those blessings!
First of all my HUBBY! What a blessing he has been in my life! Can't imagine my life without him. Thank you Lord for such a wonderful husband!
Our Home! Thank you Lord for allowing us to build a home where family can join.
"God provided it. Now it is our job to use it for Him"
The blessing of sight to see this every morning! What a beautiful creation we are surrounded by.
My family means the world to me!
My beautiful niece, Mallory!
My handsome little nephew, Mason!
My doggie, Brody!
There is no picture to show the gift of eternal life that you freely give to us, if we accept and confess that you are Lord. Or the mercy and grace that you pour out upon us. We recognize that we are sinful and have fallen short in this life, but yet your goodness is still revealed to us.
WE ARE BLESSED.....
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Waiting Game
That seems to be the story of my life.....WAITING!!!
Why can't things come easy? Why does it seem to be so difficult? Why does every task seem to be prolonged?
Questions I roll threw my mind daily!
Read a verse on Sunday found in
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Ok, so God is obviously trying to teach me perserverance that will then produce HOPE!
That doesn't make things easier...but it may shed some light on our circumstances.
I have some of you write me emails, text messages and phone calls on how I am doing.
I am feeling good, although I seem to have a "flare" up of "belly aches" that occur almost daily. Thanks to my aunt Mary, telling me about liquid Mylanta! That takes away the discomfort in about 10 minutes!
I am scheduled to have my gall bladder removed on Tuesday, July 21st (again more waiting)at 10:00 in the morning. It is a fairly simple procedure. They will put me out with general anesthesia and remove it laproscopically. They tell me that I will be back to normal in a day or so and can resume activity almost immediately. This has been a huge relief because I am due back to school on August 14th. Although everyone who knows, Mrs Drury, knows that I will be in there by August 1st!! :( But lets not talk about school, I have a couple more weeks of summer left.
Waiting...a story of my life...
Waited 5 long years to marry the man that I LOVE...
Waited 8 long years (still waiting)to have children...
But you know, as I ponder those things in my life that I have had to wait for, I know full well it was/is for a reason! I truly believe that with all of my heart. A dear friend of mine told me "I can't help but think that God is preparing you for something BIG, Darcy"! ..."Really?!?!" But you know if He is indeeded preparing us for something BIG, I want to be completely prepared. I guess that might shed some more light on this WAITING GAME!
I heard a message spoke once on Patience. The pastor shared that
PATIENCE means LONG SUFFERING
I really do count my blessing every day, hope this wasn't a "Debbie Downer" post. Just some thoughts that I have been wrestling with and wanted to share.
Why can't things come easy? Why does it seem to be so difficult? Why does every task seem to be prolonged?
Questions I roll threw my mind daily!
Read a verse on Sunday found in
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Ok, so God is obviously trying to teach me perserverance that will then produce HOPE!
That doesn't make things easier...but it may shed some light on our circumstances.
I have some of you write me emails, text messages and phone calls on how I am doing.
I am feeling good, although I seem to have a "flare" up of "belly aches" that occur almost daily. Thanks to my aunt Mary, telling me about liquid Mylanta! That takes away the discomfort in about 10 minutes!
I am scheduled to have my gall bladder removed on Tuesday, July 21st (again more waiting)at 10:00 in the morning. It is a fairly simple procedure. They will put me out with general anesthesia and remove it laproscopically. They tell me that I will be back to normal in a day or so and can resume activity almost immediately. This has been a huge relief because I am due back to school on August 14th. Although everyone who knows, Mrs Drury, knows that I will be in there by August 1st!! :( But lets not talk about school, I have a couple more weeks of summer left.
Waiting...a story of my life...
Waited 5 long years to marry the man that I LOVE...
Waited 8 long years (still waiting)to have children...
But you know, as I ponder those things in my life that I have had to wait for, I know full well it was/is for a reason! I truly believe that with all of my heart. A dear friend of mine told me "I can't help but think that God is preparing you for something BIG, Darcy"! ..."Really?!?!" But you know if He is indeeded preparing us for something BIG, I want to be completely prepared. I guess that might shed some more light on this WAITING GAME!
I heard a message spoke once on Patience. The pastor shared that
PATIENCE means LONG SUFFERING
I really do count my blessing every day, hope this wasn't a "Debbie Downer" post. Just some thoughts that I have been wrestling with and wanted to share.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Chalk it up as another experience...
Well I am typing this post from a hospital bed! Yes, I did say hospital bed! Kind of strange how things can change in just a matter of a day.
It started Saturday, about 2am, I woke with a really bad belly ache! I couldn't get back to sleep. Took some medicine and tried to get comfortable in the chair. I must have gotten somewhat comfortable because I fell back asleep for a bit. Then I woke up about 2 hours later with a stomach ache that was about 3 times as worse. Just a strong pain under my right rib cage. Kind of resembled a "leg cramp" that just wouldn't go away. Again I tried to take some more tums and Tylenol hoping that it would just go away. As I was trying to get comfortable in the chair and wanting so badly to go back to sleep, Pete was getting ready for his week long fishing trip to northern Minnesota. He left that morning around 5:30am and wouldn't return until next Saturday sometime. He has been planning this trip for about a year, so I knew he was so excited to get away. I was still in pain when he left, but I was determined that it was going to go away in a matter of minutes. Well minutes turned into hours with not relief.
Finally I decided to call First Nurse around 5:00. I described my pain to her and she said "you need to go to the ER". So my sister Lisa and I hoped in the car and headed to the ER. It was a very quick trip, I might add. By the time I saw the doctor the pain had somewhat subsided. So since the pain sort of went away, he sent me home with some expectations to follow this week. The Dr believed that from the symptoms that I shared, that it had something to do with my gall bladder. I would have to agree with him, because of my own research that I had done online.
So we left the ER around 8:00 and went home and something to eat. Shortly after I got home my cell phone rang and it was the nurse from the ER. She said "We need you to come back to the hospital to spend the night. Some of your levels were elevated". So I packed a bag and went to the hospital with my sister. Making frequent calls and message updates to my husband who was now 9 hours away!
As we talked with the Dr on Sunday night she shared that the levels in my pancreas were really high (21,000) and needed to be around 300. Although that sounds high it is only about in the Mild to Moderate state...which was good that it wasn't more severe. She begins to tell us that one of the main reason for this in my pancreas is that something related to my gall bladder. So they wanted to monitor me a little bit closely to figure out what the problem really was.
I had an ultrasound done on Sunday that did confirm that there were some gall stones forming in my gall bladder and that the duct was a little inf lammed. The Dr. thought that maybe I had passed a stone that then blocked the common bile duct that didn't allow my pancreas to filter properly.
So now I am sitting here in the hospital bed with an IV that has been pumping fluids through me to get all of that inflammation out of my pancreas. I have not eaten any food or drank anything since Saturday. She wants my digestive system to have no activity so that it will heal properly.
I am just passing the time with watching TV, surfing the web, reading a book, reading some magazines and talking to family and friends on the phone. I have had many conversations with Pete over the phone and he feels terrible. He wants to be here so badly and feels terrible about fishing instead of being next to me. He has told me countless times "it just isn't right that my wife is in the hospital and I would be sitting on a lake fishing!". I kept telling him that there wouldn't be anything for him to do here, but to sit and stare at me. And besides my sister and mom were taking good care of me. I tried to give him peace of mind, but I guess that wasn't enough, because he decided to come home today. He should actually be here any minute. I feel terrible that I messed up his long awaited fishing trip, but he felt that being here was more important.
I am feeling much better today. My enzyme numbers have cut in half almost every day. this morning my Numbers were closer to 900-700 range. She wants them to be a bit lower before she starts my digestive system back up again. I am really hoping that I can at least eat something tomorrow, because right now I am starving! So things are progressing well, but the Dr. did say it might not be until Thursday before I can go home! :( I was a little frustrated when I heard that, but I want to make sure that I am well so that it doesn't happen again!
I have no idea why this had to happen right now.Although last week was the last week of school (not a good time) and next week I have family come home (not a good time)....so in all actuality this week was "the best time for it to happen". God is really teaching me a lot about my body these days. A fried told me "Darcy, I think you could be a nurse, from all of the medical experiences you have had lately". I laughed and thought "no way"! God also is reminding me that he has created us in a way that is absolutely amazing and I am thankful for the knowledge he has given to those we entrust our lives to in times like this!
So the Drury's can just chalk it up as another life experience!
It started Saturday, about 2am, I woke with a really bad belly ache! I couldn't get back to sleep. Took some medicine and tried to get comfortable in the chair. I must have gotten somewhat comfortable because I fell back asleep for a bit. Then I woke up about 2 hours later with a stomach ache that was about 3 times as worse. Just a strong pain under my right rib cage. Kind of resembled a "leg cramp" that just wouldn't go away. Again I tried to take some more tums and Tylenol hoping that it would just go away. As I was trying to get comfortable in the chair and wanting so badly to go back to sleep, Pete was getting ready for his week long fishing trip to northern Minnesota. He left that morning around 5:30am and wouldn't return until next Saturday sometime. He has been planning this trip for about a year, so I knew he was so excited to get away. I was still in pain when he left, but I was determined that it was going to go away in a matter of minutes. Well minutes turned into hours with not relief.
Finally I decided to call First Nurse around 5:00. I described my pain to her and she said "you need to go to the ER". So my sister Lisa and I hoped in the car and headed to the ER. It was a very quick trip, I might add. By the time I saw the doctor the pain had somewhat subsided. So since the pain sort of went away, he sent me home with some expectations to follow this week. The Dr believed that from the symptoms that I shared, that it had something to do with my gall bladder. I would have to agree with him, because of my own research that I had done online.
So we left the ER around 8:00 and went home and something to eat. Shortly after I got home my cell phone rang and it was the nurse from the ER. She said "We need you to come back to the hospital to spend the night. Some of your levels were elevated". So I packed a bag and went to the hospital with my sister. Making frequent calls and message updates to my husband who was now 9 hours away!
As we talked with the Dr on Sunday night she shared that the levels in my pancreas were really high (21,000) and needed to be around 300. Although that sounds high it is only about in the Mild to Moderate state...which was good that it wasn't more severe. She begins to tell us that one of the main reason for this in my pancreas is that something related to my gall bladder. So they wanted to monitor me a little bit closely to figure out what the problem really was.
I had an ultrasound done on Sunday that did confirm that there were some gall stones forming in my gall bladder and that the duct was a little inf lammed. The Dr. thought that maybe I had passed a stone that then blocked the common bile duct that didn't allow my pancreas to filter properly.
So now I am sitting here in the hospital bed with an IV that has been pumping fluids through me to get all of that inflammation out of my pancreas. I have not eaten any food or drank anything since Saturday. She wants my digestive system to have no activity so that it will heal properly.
I am just passing the time with watching TV, surfing the web, reading a book, reading some magazines and talking to family and friends on the phone. I have had many conversations with Pete over the phone and he feels terrible. He wants to be here so badly and feels terrible about fishing instead of being next to me. He has told me countless times "it just isn't right that my wife is in the hospital and I would be sitting on a lake fishing!". I kept telling him that there wouldn't be anything for him to do here, but to sit and stare at me. And besides my sister and mom were taking good care of me. I tried to give him peace of mind, but I guess that wasn't enough, because he decided to come home today. He should actually be here any minute. I feel terrible that I messed up his long awaited fishing trip, but he felt that being here was more important.
I am feeling much better today. My enzyme numbers have cut in half almost every day. this morning my Numbers were closer to 900-700 range. She wants them to be a bit lower before she starts my digestive system back up again. I am really hoping that I can at least eat something tomorrow, because right now I am starving! So things are progressing well, but the Dr. did say it might not be until Thursday before I can go home! :( I was a little frustrated when I heard that, but I want to make sure that I am well so that it doesn't happen again!
I have no idea why this had to happen right now.Although last week was the last week of school (not a good time) and next week I have family come home (not a good time)....so in all actuality this week was "the best time for it to happen". God is really teaching me a lot about my body these days. A fried told me "Darcy, I think you could be a nurse, from all of the medical experiences you have had lately". I laughed and thought "no way"! God also is reminding me that he has created us in a way that is absolutely amazing and I am thankful for the knowledge he has given to those we entrust our lives to in times like this!
So the Drury's can just chalk it up as another life experience!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Inspired by a song
One of my favorite ways to worship our Creator is through music. I love when a great song comes on the radio and my heart is gripped. I ponder the words and start to reflect on my own life. Some songs often bring me to tears as I listen and am reminded of God's promises to us, as His children. If we have put our faith and trust in Him and accept the gift of eternal life that He freely gives to those who believe...He promies to never leave us nor forsake us (Jos. 1:5)
Heard this song on the radio today and felt it was a great depiction of my heart and thought I would share with others!
Praise God that He will be by our side!! I am so encouraged today that He is at work and I am anxious to see what he has in store for us!
Heard this song on the radio today and felt it was a great depiction of my heart and thought I would share with others!
Praise God that He will be by our side!! I am so encouraged today that He is at work and I am anxious to see what he has in store for us!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Held
First of all I want to thank everyone who has been praying for us over the past couple of days. We have felt every single prayer that has been made! It has been incredible to see how the Holy Spirit has worked within us.
There has been a song that has resounded in my mind this week, which will explain the title of this post. It is a song by Natalie Grant called Held. There are portions of that song that are exactly my heart. Here is the portion of the song that has stuck out to me...
"This is what it means to be held....this is what it means to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything failed, we'd be HELD".
That is exactly what it has felt like for us! On Sunday I kept expressing to Pete this overwhelming sense of "being upheld". Even though we were at war against emotions that were raging inside of us, we felt the hand of God upholding us every minute of every day.
We spent a majority of past few weeks just being with each other. We found that brought us the most comfort. We spent a lot of time talking and reflecting. You know when you marry your spouse, you express a love for them that is real and deep and you question "How can I feel this love any deeper"? This is one of those undesirable times that has deepened that love that we thought was unmeasurable at the time. As we celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary, I reflected on the man that God has so graciously blessed me with and I can't imagine my life with anyone else. God knew what he was doing and knew exactly what I needed in life when he joined our hearts together!
As we look forward we still have a lot to think about. We are trying to be open to all measures. We want to be obedient to God's will for us. We want to be receptive what it is that He would call us to do. We are tired of waiting and don't anticipate waiting months to make that decision, either. We meet with our Dr. on Tuesday and hope to have some things made clear.
Please continue to pray for us in this time! We are overwhelmed with the decision that we will have to make in the weeks to come. Please pray that we would recieve wisdom. Pray that our hearts would be open to God's leading and then that we will be obedient.
Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words, cards, emails, messages, etc...that you all have sent. Our hearts have been encouraged!!
The journey continues.....down drury lane....to be continued...
Romans 12:12
Be JOYful in hope,
PATIENT in affliction,
FAITHful in prayer
There has been a song that has resounded in my mind this week, which will explain the title of this post. It is a song by Natalie Grant called Held. There are portions of that song that are exactly my heart. Here is the portion of the song that has stuck out to me...
"This is what it means to be held....this is what it means to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything failed, we'd be HELD".
That is exactly what it has felt like for us! On Sunday I kept expressing to Pete this overwhelming sense of "being upheld". Even though we were at war against emotions that were raging inside of us, we felt the hand of God upholding us every minute of every day.
We spent a majority of past few weeks just being with each other. We found that brought us the most comfort. We spent a lot of time talking and reflecting. You know when you marry your spouse, you express a love for them that is real and deep and you question "How can I feel this love any deeper"? This is one of those undesirable times that has deepened that love that we thought was unmeasurable at the time. As we celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary, I reflected on the man that God has so graciously blessed me with and I can't imagine my life with anyone else. God knew what he was doing and knew exactly what I needed in life when he joined our hearts together!
As we look forward we still have a lot to think about. We are trying to be open to all measures. We want to be obedient to God's will for us. We want to be receptive what it is that He would call us to do. We are tired of waiting and don't anticipate waiting months to make that decision, either. We meet with our Dr. on Tuesday and hope to have some things made clear.
Please continue to pray for us in this time! We are overwhelmed with the decision that we will have to make in the weeks to come. Please pray that we would recieve wisdom. Pray that our hearts would be open to God's leading and then that we will be obedient.
Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words, cards, emails, messages, etc...that you all have sent. Our hearts have been encouraged!!
The journey continues.....down drury lane....to be continued...
Romans 12:12
Be JOYful in hope,
PATIENT in affliction,
FAITHful in prayer
Sunday, May 10, 2009
With broken hearts
We went in today to have our pregnancy test completed. Results came back negative. Our hearts are torn. Please pray for us during this time. We will type more at a later time when our hearts and minds have a chance to heal.
Pete and Darcy
Pete and Darcy
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Trusting His Plan
We continue to trust that God is in control. Darcy was able to stay home all day on Tuesday (day of implant), Wednesday and Thursday morning. I was so proud of her for taking extra time for herself before going back to school. Each day, she continues to improve in how she feels.
We received word from the clinic on Thursday that out of the six eggs that were left, none of them continued their growth so we will not be able to freeze them. This was a bit shocking and disappointing when we heard it. We are grateful that God provided two strong embryos through this process and trust that God is in control with every step of this journey. God continues to refine us through this current "fire".
Continue to pray that our babies grow and fully attach themselves to Darcy. Pray that the medicines continue to help nurture our babies. Also, pray for the Marshalltown community. We received word yesterday that the school district that Darcy and I work for will be shut down all next week due to the flu outbreak that you continue to hear about on the news. We pray that these actions will help curb the spread of this. Also pray that Darcy's body is protected from this illness and that she is able to remain healthy and strong.
Our next appointment is on Sunday May 10th. We will head to the clinic to have pregnancy tests done. We should know more at this time.
Thank you so much for your prayers and kind words. We can sense your prayers each day and are so blessed to have loving family and friends to surround us during our journey.
God Bless,
Pete
We received word from the clinic on Thursday that out of the six eggs that were left, none of them continued their growth so we will not be able to freeze them. This was a bit shocking and disappointing when we heard it. We are grateful that God provided two strong embryos through this process and trust that God is in control with every step of this journey. God continues to refine us through this current "fire".
Continue to pray that our babies grow and fully attach themselves to Darcy. Pray that the medicines continue to help nurture our babies. Also, pray for the Marshalltown community. We received word yesterday that the school district that Darcy and I work for will be shut down all next week due to the flu outbreak that you continue to hear about on the news. We pray that these actions will help curb the spread of this. Also pray that Darcy's body is protected from this illness and that she is able to remain healthy and strong.
Our next appointment is on Sunday May 10th. We will head to the clinic to have pregnancy tests done. We should know more at this time.
Thank you so much for your prayers and kind words. We can sense your prayers each day and are so blessed to have loving family and friends to surround us during our journey.
God Bless,
Pete
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Fearfully and wonderfully made
We are back home and everything went well with our appointment today. Dr. Cooper was able to successfully implant two embryos. The entire process took about 20 minutes. Darcy did great and is now at home resting. She will need to stay lying down the rest of today and all day tomorrow.
Here is the photo of our babies that were implanted today.
Please pray that our babies continue to grow and are able to attach themselves to Darcy. Pray that Darcy remains healthy and is able to rest, stress free, these next two days. God is in control and we trust that He will be present as we continue our journey.
Thank you so much for your prayers. We have felt them surrounding us through each step along the way! We are so blessed to have such loving family and friends!
In His grip,
Pete and Darcy
Here is the photo of our babies that were implanted today.
Please pray that our babies continue to grow and are able to attach themselves to Darcy. Pray that Darcy remains healthy and is able to rest, stress free, these next two days. God is in control and we trust that He will be present as we continue our journey.
Thank you so much for your prayers. We have felt them surrounding us through each step along the way! We are so blessed to have such loving family and friends!
In His grip,
Pete and Darcy
Today is the day!
Today is a major day. We will be heading down to the clinic in Des Moines for a 1pm appointment. At this appointment, they will place two developed embryos inside Darcy. She will then spend the next two days on her back to allow things to settle in. Pray that the procedure goes well and that our babies are able to attach and begin to grow strong. We feel so blessed to be at this point and are excited to see what God is going to do. Pray that Darcy stays healthy and that she is able to fully relax these next two days so that her body can do it's job.
As I spent time in God's Word this morning, I have been flooded with thoughts and emotions. If you know me at all, you know I am a person that comes up with as many scenarios as I can and then I begin to break down the "what ifs" of each one. God knew what I needed to hear this morning. I was reading in I Peter. Here is what God had to say:
I Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Bottom line.....God is in full control of where we are. He knew this day before we were even created. His mighty hand is at work and all we need to do is place our worries and anxiety at his feet. What a blessing! Not our will but His be done today!
We thank you for all your prayers as we continue down our road. Ultimately, we pray that God will receive all the glory through this process.
I will post an update when we return home from the procedure.
In His arms,
Pete
As I spent time in God's Word this morning, I have been flooded with thoughts and emotions. If you know me at all, you know I am a person that comes up with as many scenarios as I can and then I begin to break down the "what ifs" of each one. God knew what I needed to hear this morning. I was reading in I Peter. Here is what God had to say:
I Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Bottom line.....God is in full control of where we are. He knew this day before we were even created. His mighty hand is at work and all we need to do is place our worries and anxiety at his feet. What a blessing! Not our will but His be done today!
We thank you for all your prayers as we continue down our road. Ultimately, we pray that God will receive all the glory through this process.
I will post an update when we return home from the procedure.
In His arms,
Pete
Monday, April 27, 2009
Overwhemled with PEACE
Psalm 139:13-14
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well."
This verse has been resounding in my heart for quite some time. We believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of LIFE! Even though this process is just that...a process, our hearts can do nothing but exalt the One who is in charge! We believe that apart from Him, we are nothing and it is only by his grace that our lives have been created.
Tuesday at 1:00pm; we will have two embryos transfered into my womb. Just as the above verse states and is our constant prayer that God, Himself "would knit them together in my womb". I become very excited about the thought of that occuring but extremely scared at the same time. Through it all, God has proved himself faithful to provide for our every need, every step of the way. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming sense of peace that we have in our hearts. God has been so good to us and we are anxious to see what he will reveal to us in the near future.
Please pray for us tomorrow around 1:00 (my appointment time). We know that if there are more than two viable embryos, we will freeze the rest of them and be able to come back to them at a later time. Again, pray that God would give us wisdom and knowledge in being responsible for those other little lives, if there are any.
Please pray that we would receive clarity. That is ultimately our prayer--clarity! May God show us if we are able to raise biological children or should pursue adoption. We pray that through all of this we would be given clarity as to what God has planned for our lives!
Thank you all for your kind words, phone messages, emails and text messages!! I feel so blessed to have such loving friends and family that surrounds us!!
Love to all!
Darcy
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well."
This verse has been resounding in my heart for quite some time. We believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of LIFE! Even though this process is just that...a process, our hearts can do nothing but exalt the One who is in charge! We believe that apart from Him, we are nothing and it is only by his grace that our lives have been created.
Tuesday at 1:00pm; we will have two embryos transfered into my womb. Just as the above verse states and is our constant prayer that God, Himself "would knit them together in my womb". I become very excited about the thought of that occuring but extremely scared at the same time. Through it all, God has proved himself faithful to provide for our every need, every step of the way. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming sense of peace that we have in our hearts. God has been so good to us and we are anxious to see what he will reveal to us in the near future.
Please pray for us tomorrow around 1:00 (my appointment time). We know that if there are more than two viable embryos, we will freeze the rest of them and be able to come back to them at a later time. Again, pray that God would give us wisdom and knowledge in being responsible for those other little lives, if there are any.
Please pray that we would receive clarity. That is ultimately our prayer--clarity! May God show us if we are able to raise biological children or should pursue adoption. We pray that through all of this we would be given clarity as to what God has planned for our lives!
Thank you all for your kind words, phone messages, emails and text messages!! I feel so blessed to have such loving friends and family that surrounds us!!
Love to all!
Darcy
Friday, April 24, 2009
Great is Thy Faithfullness!
I sit here this morning with a song that continues to run through my head.
Great is Thy faithfullness! Great is Thy faithfullness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfullness, Lord unto me!
My heart is rejoicing as I think about what is taking place right now. Yesterday, Darcy and I had our retrieval appointment. This is the culmination of all the shots that we have been administering the last two weeks. Darcy did a great job! They were able to collect 21 eggs! Praise God. After the retrieval, they took the eggs to the labratory to fertilize them and begin to watch which ones grow. As I type this, our babies are developing! We should receive a phone call today to let us know how many have successfully fertilized.
The procedure itself was a pretty quick one. Darcy was only back in the room for about twenty-five minutes. I was able to sit with her in the recovery room and wait for the medicine to wear off. This provided for some pretty interesting discussions. There was a reason that the doctor referred to the medicine as Darcy's margaritas while he was talking with us before the procedure.
As we got in the car to come home, all kinds of thoughts and emotions began to flood my mind. I turned the car onto the interstate and Stephen Curtis Chapman's song "Be Still" came on the radio. What an awesome promise that God is fully in control and that we are resting in His arms. What a powerful song at such a perfect time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgcugcQ9bCs
Darcy is a little sore this morning but is doing quite well. One more day of school this week and she will have the weekend to relax and ready herself for Tuesday. We begin our next series of shots tonight. By the time this is all done, I am pretty sure that my hesitation towards needles will be completely gone.
Continue to pray for us in these next few, vital days. Pray that our babies continue to grow strong. Pray that Darcy's body heals itself from yesterdays procedure and readies itself to successfully receive our babies on Tuesday. Pray that our stress levels remain low and our trust in God remains high. May His name be praised!
With Love,
Pete
Great is Thy faithfullness! Great is Thy faithfullness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfullness, Lord unto me!
My heart is rejoicing as I think about what is taking place right now. Yesterday, Darcy and I had our retrieval appointment. This is the culmination of all the shots that we have been administering the last two weeks. Darcy did a great job! They were able to collect 21 eggs! Praise God. After the retrieval, they took the eggs to the labratory to fertilize them and begin to watch which ones grow. As I type this, our babies are developing! We should receive a phone call today to let us know how many have successfully fertilized.
The procedure itself was a pretty quick one. Darcy was only back in the room for about twenty-five minutes. I was able to sit with her in the recovery room and wait for the medicine to wear off. This provided for some pretty interesting discussions. There was a reason that the doctor referred to the medicine as Darcy's margaritas while he was talking with us before the procedure.
As we got in the car to come home, all kinds of thoughts and emotions began to flood my mind. I turned the car onto the interstate and Stephen Curtis Chapman's song "Be Still" came on the radio. What an awesome promise that God is fully in control and that we are resting in His arms. What a powerful song at such a perfect time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgcugcQ9bCs
Darcy is a little sore this morning but is doing quite well. One more day of school this week and she will have the weekend to relax and ready herself for Tuesday. We begin our next series of shots tonight. By the time this is all done, I am pretty sure that my hesitation towards needles will be completely gone.
Continue to pray for us in these next few, vital days. Pray that our babies continue to grow strong. Pray that Darcy's body heals itself from yesterdays procedure and readies itself to successfully receive our babies on Tuesday. Pray that our stress levels remain low and our trust in God remains high. May His name be praised!
With Love,
Pete
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Its a GO!
The process is moving along so quickly!
Over the past ten days, I have been giving myself two types of shots every morning and every night. This was something that both Pete and I were worried about before it began. It has turned out to be not as bad as what we first envisioned. I think Pete has even overcome his "fear" of needles! :)
In the past six days, I have traveled to Des Moines to continue to monitor the growth of my follicles in my ovaries. Things have continued to progress evenly and on pace. Today, I had my last screening. Through what was found, they have determined that I will be going in on Thursday morning for egg retrieval. This will be a process where the dr. extracts developed eggs from my ovaries in order to fertilize them in the lab. Next Tuesday, we will then go in to the clinic to implant two fertilized eggs. We will then begin a new series of shots to make sure my hormone levels are maintained for the best chance to sustain a pregnancy.
We have felt so blessed as we have continued down this road. God is so much bigger than what we can wrap our minds around. He has continued to sustain us through every stop along the way. In looking back from where we are now, we realize how much God has been moving in our lives to get us here. We trust that God will continue to teach us new things through this journey and pray that with each day, He will reveal His purpose and plan for our lives.
Please keep us in prayer as we move into the next stage of the process. Pray for me as my body endures the procedures. Pray that my body responds to the medicines and that I will follow doctor's orders. May God receive all glory and honor!
Over the past ten days, I have been giving myself two types of shots every morning and every night. This was something that both Pete and I were worried about before it began. It has turned out to be not as bad as what we first envisioned. I think Pete has even overcome his "fear" of needles! :)
In the past six days, I have traveled to Des Moines to continue to monitor the growth of my follicles in my ovaries. Things have continued to progress evenly and on pace. Today, I had my last screening. Through what was found, they have determined that I will be going in on Thursday morning for egg retrieval. This will be a process where the dr. extracts developed eggs from my ovaries in order to fertilize them in the lab. Next Tuesday, we will then go in to the clinic to implant two fertilized eggs. We will then begin a new series of shots to make sure my hormone levels are maintained for the best chance to sustain a pregnancy.
We have felt so blessed as we have continued down this road. God is so much bigger than what we can wrap our minds around. He has continued to sustain us through every stop along the way. In looking back from where we are now, we realize how much God has been moving in our lives to get us here. We trust that God will continue to teach us new things through this journey and pray that with each day, He will reveal His purpose and plan for our lives.
Please keep us in prayer as we move into the next stage of the process. Pray for me as my body endures the procedures. Pray that my body responds to the medicines and that I will follow doctor's orders. May God receive all glory and honor!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
A Stroll Down Drury Lane
Walk with us DOWN DRURY LANE...
No we are not pregnant...YET! Wish that was the news to share. People start blogs when they have children but we have decided to start this blog BEFORE we have children. To take you down "Drury Lane" of the process to recieve our children!!
Where do I begin, but back at the beginning. It all started about 3 years ago when Pete and I were becoming kind of anxious about starting a family. After many months of trying and trying again...and trying some more....we finally decided to pursue some expert knowledge. We made an appointment to see a highly recommended fertility specialist. This doctor is an absolute God send and is exactly what we had prayed for! He was quick to figure out what would be the best path for us. After a few months of some different kinds of tests, he discovered that I had a closed fallopian tube. After an outpatient procedure that fixed the problem, we were on our way with some different medicines to try. After the summer of trying, there was no success. The following spring (2008) we decided to pursue the next step, which was a little bit more invasive. We decided to try artificial insemenations, three times that summer, with no success.
You can imagine that by this time we are extremely heart broken and very much pleeding with God to show us His will for our lives.
SO AFTER MUCH PRAYER...TEARS...FAITH...
That leads me to the next step, which we have decided to take this spring (2009). We have decided to finally puruse In Vitro Fertilization . No we are not going to have 8 babies! This clinic will only implant 2 embryos....so twins..maybe....octuples....I have a better chance at winning the lottery!
We have no idea what is in store for us in the coming months. I do know that I desire to be transparent through it all so that all can see the work that God will do in our lives!!!
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36 For FROM Him, and THROUGH him, and TO him areall things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen
No we are not pregnant...YET! Wish that was the news to share. People start blogs when they have children but we have decided to start this blog BEFORE we have children. To take you down "Drury Lane" of the process to recieve our children!!
Where do I begin, but back at the beginning. It all started about 3 years ago when Pete and I were becoming kind of anxious about starting a family. After many months of trying and trying again...and trying some more....we finally decided to pursue some expert knowledge. We made an appointment to see a highly recommended fertility specialist. This doctor is an absolute God send and is exactly what we had prayed for! He was quick to figure out what would be the best path for us. After a few months of some different kinds of tests, he discovered that I had a closed fallopian tube. After an outpatient procedure that fixed the problem, we were on our way with some different medicines to try. After the summer of trying, there was no success. The following spring (2008) we decided to pursue the next step, which was a little bit more invasive. We decided to try artificial insemenations, three times that summer, with no success.
You can imagine that by this time we are extremely heart broken and very much pleeding with God to show us His will for our lives.
SO AFTER MUCH PRAYER...TEARS...FAITH...
That leads me to the next step, which we have decided to take this spring (2009). We have decided to finally puruse In Vitro Fertilization . No we are not going to have 8 babies! This clinic will only implant 2 embryos....so twins..maybe....octuples....I have a better chance at winning the lottery!
We have no idea what is in store for us in the coming months. I do know that I desire to be transparent through it all so that all can see the work that God will do in our lives!!!
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36 For FROM Him, and THROUGH him, and TO him areall things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen
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